More Hunting Wasps 



habit of living on prey, which does not fa- 

 vour large populations, was maintained for 

 the feeble larvae; but the vigorous adult 

 broke herself of it to lead an easier and more 

 prosperous life. Thus, gradually, was 

 formed the Phllanthus of our day; thus was 

 acquired the twofold diet of the various 

 predatory insects our contemporaries. 



The Bee has done better still: from the 

 moment of leaving the egg she delivered 

 herself completely from food-stuffs the ac- 

 quisition of which depended on chance. 

 She discovered honey, the grubs' food. Re- 

 nouncing the chase for ever and becoming an 

 agriculturist pure and simple, the insect at- 

 tains a degree of physical and moral pros- 

 perity which the predatory species are far 

 from sharing. Hence the flourishing col- 

 onies of the Anthophorae, the Osmlas, the 

 Eucerae,^ the Hallcti and other honey-manu- 

 facturers, whereas the predatory Insects 

 work In Isolation; hence the societies in which 

 the Bee displays her wonderful tendencies, 

 the supreme expression of instinct. 



This Is what I should say If I belonged to 

 that school. It all forms a chain of very 

 logical deductions and proffers itself with a 



1 A genus of long-horned Burrowing Bees. — Trans- 

 lator's Note. 



280 



